Series: Lee Savino
Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 63295 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63295 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Teddy helps Matthias to his feet. Matthias limps to me.
“It’s too late,” I say. “He injected her…just like he said he would.”
“Pick her up.” Matthais kneels beside me. His shoulder is a bloody mess, but he looks determined. He opens his vest and pulls out a carefully rolled fabric case that contains a number of vials. He holds one up and readies a syringe. “Get her upright.”
Teddy reacts first, kneeling and carefully sliding a hand under Wren so he can sit her up.
I cradle her head. “It’s okay, Wren. We’re Paloma’s friends.”
She mumbles something, but doesn’t open her eyes. She looks so much like Paloma, with the same heart-shaped face and dark hair. She’s thinner, and fine-boned like the bird she’s named for. Her body weight is as light as a handful of feathers.
“Extend her arm,” Matthias orders. He’s deep in doctor mode. Or maybe it’s Alpha mode. He certainly used alpha command when he spoke to Axel and Canyon.
He swabs Wren’s arm with antiseptic. Her limb looks tiny and fragile in comparison to his large hand.
“Wren, listen to me.” His voice is deep and soothing. “You’re going to be okay. I have the antidote.” He preps the syringe and checks it for air bubbles.
“What is that?” I ask. The liquid is clear, but my shifter sight detects the faintest pink tinge.
“A special cocktail I created myself. It includes a cure-all donated by a vampire friend.”
Vampire blood can heal humans.
I watch Matthias inject the blood and bow my head over Wren. Even my bear is quiet, hoping it will work.
The dead silence is broken by her high-pitched gasp.
“Her heart’s beating stronger.” Matthias rises, folding up his medicine kit. “But we need to get her out of here.”
I rise with Wren in my arms. “I need to go after Paloma.”
Teddy turns. “Then this door needs to go.” His eyes flash, and he tears into the wall beside the vault door. He rips out chunks of drywall and hits a rock wall. He doesn’t stop trying to worry the stone, clawing around the rounded steel door to pop it free.
“I’ll take her.” Matthias holds out his arms. I carefully lay Wren in them, and he cradles her against his unwounded shoulder.
I turn and help Teddy claw into the wall. His body grows, muscles swelling into the fur-covered bulk of the bear. With his bear power, he rips the door out of the wall.
My twin faces me as the bear. Go, he seems to say. Get your mate.
“Keep Wren safe.” I clap him on the shoulder before racing down the dank tunnel.
I can hear Teddy turn to lumber after Matthias. They’ll get Wren out. I trust them.
I’m halfway down the tunnel when I get a hit of Paloma’s scent.
And then I have to brace against the mold covered wall to fight my bear from bursting forth.
Let me out. It’s my turn now, my bear demands.
“No.” I grit my fangs and almost fall to my knees. “No.” We’re wasting time!
There’s fresh air wafting towards me. I’m almost to the end of the tunnel. I fight the bear every step of the way, my spine hunched and muscles straining. I emerge doubled over.
Thompson’s forces are waiting for me. A flurry of darts hit my body. I pull one out, snarling, and the silver tip burns my fingers. I toss it away and brush at the rest of the darts, but my bloodstream is on fire. I take a step, and a wave of weakness overtakes me. My limbs turn leaden, and I stumble.
A silver net knocks me down to the ground, and the poison in my veins drags me into darkness.
Chapter Fourteen
Darius
I swim in a sea of pain. Shouts and screams sound in the distance, then I hear the clank of bars slamming down.
I come to again when a soft hand closes around mine. I jerk and Paloma shushes me. “Shhh, Darius. I’m here.”
“Princess?” I slit open my eyes, but the world is blurry. My head aches like someone pounded it with a sledgehammer.
“Oh, thank God you’re awake.” Paloma’s soft hair falls on my cheek, and I turn my head to drink in her sweet scent.
My skin burns where the net touched it, but the pain is nothing to the fire raging inside me. Whatever was in those darts is poison. I feel incredibly weak.
“Where–”
“They took us somewhere. I overheard one of the guards say we’re on a private estate, but I don’t know where. They drugged me. They drugged us both.” Her breath hitches. She’s been crying.
I want to raise a hand to comfort her, but I can’t lift it more than a few inches. She grabs it and holds on with both hands.
There’s something important I have to tell her. I reach through the fog to find it.
“Wren,” I mumble.
“I know,” Paloma’s voice cracks with a sob. “Thom poisoned her. I can still sense her, but she must be dead…”